TimesTwo

Anyone have success w/ reconsideration while applying for the same card you already have open? I applied for US #2 (two apps more than 3 months ago and none otherwise in the last year, so number of apps shouldn't be the issue) and didn't get instant approval. It's been my experience that Barclays is terrible w/ reconsideration (last time I tried a couple of years ago). So for those successful by calling, I'm wondering if your success was with a diff't product or the same. Thanks.

Beetlesauce

So I tried applying for Barclays Arrival + and got denied. I've never had the card before but I do have a Barclays Rewards card and two US Airways MC open. Called recon. After two holds and appx 12 mins, analyst says they've already extened me enough credit and denial stands. Also my latest US Airways card was opened about 80 days ago. I have $13,500 on the three cards. She told me she cannot shift credit around when I asked if she'd just reduce credit on my Rewards card. Even asked her if I can close the rewards card. No dice. She says she is not allowed to move credit between different card products which is where I knew she was lying.

V6Jeep4x4

Planned on coming here to ask for advice on calling in for a pending application but read somewhere else not to do it until you've been denied. That sometimes, its better to let the process play itself out? Well, it worked for me. (Not to say it wouldn't have worked if I had called in) I was pending for 5 days but just got the email that I've been approved.

I have great credit and good income but I'm guessing my only issue was that I've had a NFL card sock drawered that I literally haven't touched in 18 months or so. Many people say not using existing cards is an issue with them. (Understandably of course)

jlt19

I applied on 4/6, waited until today and searched online to find out I was denied. I called and the CSR mentioned I hadn't used my newly opened US Air card much (6 times in 2 months) and that I had recently opened two new Chase accounts. In the end he moved $10k of my $20k CL from the US card to the new Arrival + card, so I'm happy.

Superorb

Why not with Barclays, do they note your account each time you call?

Brugge

Yes they do, and their Recon CSRs are not always accommodating. People with more Barclays experience than I do have posted that if you don't get an instant approval, calling Recon can actually lower your odds of being approved. I don't know if that's actually the case, but I've read it in several posts. If you do HUCA, it's best to have some "new information" that you "forgot to tell them on the previous call".

Superorb

Yes, calling recon with a pending app is a big no-no. I had a pending app and let it sit and was approved after 5 days. For some reason I thought you were referring to calling for an AF waiver.

shinjukuflyer

So finally after months of reading about the Arrival+, I applied earlier today. It immediately went to the "Thanks for your interest. Your application is being reviewed" page.

It said here in this thread not to call for a pending application but I figured since this was my first app with Barclays it couldn't hurt. Called and rep asked me for my social, then name and DOB, and then said oh hey you're already approved for 12.5k.

That was quick! And a good result, would've sucked to be denied on my first app.

joscofra

So I checked the app status page and saw I was declined for the Arrival+. I'm going to call recon tomorrow even though I've heard they are very tough since I've got nothing to lose, but would like some advice about what I should say since I'm not very gifted at persuasion.

My Transunion score is 787 and my only Barclay card is a US Air/Aviator Red that I was approved for in Feb this year with a $12.5K CL. My guess is I was denied since they don't want to extend more credit than that based on my income, so my strategy is to request shifting credit from that card to open the A+. My weak spots would be 1) Not actually using the Aviator. Honestly I only got it for the 50K AA miles and it doesn't make sense to put spend since I have better cards for that, and 2) 8 new credit cards this year.

I plan to say that I really want this card since I'm planning a Europe trip for next summer and the 2% earn everywhere, chip+pin, and no FTF make it the best card available, and that I have all the other CCs since they offered specific benefits that I wanted at the time. But I don't really have an excuse for not using the Aviator other than saying it only earns 1%, and I don't want to say anything negative about their card. My best answer is that I need the free bag on AA which is actually the case. Would that be a good enough answer?

I would really appreciate any suggestions since I really don't want the denial to stick. thanks.

Edit: Oh, and I do have a lot of cash in a Barclays online savings account but I'm not sure if they would care about that. Should I mention that?

garykung

To be honest, you can't really prepare unless you know the actual reason of denial, which you have not mentioned.

So you can only say whatever you have in mind at that time.

No. Except for the 2%, AA Aviator Red offers everything you have mention.

I would really appreciate any suggestions since I really don't want the denial to stick. thanks.

Can the rep see that?

If yes, then yes. If no, then no.

joscofra

thanks for the response. I don't know the reason for denial since I haven't received the letter yet. I guess the extra 1% on the A+ would be my focus, plus that the rewards are cashback and not AA miles. Don't know if they can see the savings account, suppose i can ask. Sigh, I really didn't enjoy my Freedom recon call - hope this one isn't as painful...

Often1

Why not wait for the letter or start the call by asking (the answer is likely to be "wait for the letter") Going into this blind is potentially a mistake. If you do proceed, just tell the truth. Nothing trips you up more quickly than small lies and nothing trips you up worse than big lies.

joscofra

good advice, thanks. I'll wait for the letter so I know where I stand. I make it a point to stick with the truth since I have a bad memory, but have been known to say more than I need to/should on occasion...

joscofra

So the update,

I decided to go ahead and call recon, opening with asking if my denial was because my CL with the Aviator was already the maximum amount relative to my income and if I could shift credit to open the Arrival+. After a long hold she came back with a question about why I had opened 8 cards this year, and I replied that I traveled a lot for work and had a hard time sticking with loyalty programs, that AmEx and Chase have flexible point programs and that I wanted the Arrival for the flexibility.

End result - new Arrival+ card with a 10K CL!
Hope this info helps anyone in a similar situation.

wikkit

I was denied for the Arrival+. Score of 756 from Transunion according to the denial letter. Denied for too many new accounts. I had opened about 15 in the previous year, but it had been over three months since the last group.

Called recon, still denied. Wouldn't trade my oldest Barclays card for Arrival. Basically told me to stop opening new accounts for a while and try again.

Since Barclays is the least important of the issuers, I'm probably just going to give up on them. Extra annoying that they hard pulled my credit three times for one app.